Is age a factor in safe driving?

Sunday

Feb 23, 2014 at 6:00 AMFeb 25, 2014 at 9:18 AM

By Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Marion Nangle, 73, has been driving since she was 16, and is proud to say that she has not had a single accident. As she has gotten older, she has noticed some changes, such as driving at night bothers her eyes, so she simply avoids it when she can.

"My grandkids have had more accidents," Mrs. Nangle said.

Paul Holzwarth, 80, doesn't need to get anywhere fast. He doesn't have a job — aside from teaching a technology class at Sutton Senior Center, and when he does need to go somewhere or take a friend on an errand he does it between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to avoid rush hour congestion.

"I am retired. I don't need to be on the road for work." Mr. Holzwarth, a Sutton resident, said. "I realize that I don't have the reactions that I used to, so I leave plenty of space between cars for anything unexpected. And I have doubled the amount of times I look left and right before pulling out."

William Cosenza, 72, said being an older driver — or, part of the 60-plus age group that is broadly defined as "mature drivers" — doesn't make him a road hazard, but a smarter driver on roads clogged with cellphone users, makeup appliers and others too important to slow down and respect the rules of the road.

"The greatest thing we do is get more cautious," Mr. Cosenza, a retired teacher, said. "You don't slam on that gas pedal as often as you used to, and when someone pulls around you, you don't give them the finger."

Yet mature drivers are often assumed to be dangerous drivers.

Cars that have crashed into storefronts by drivers who mistake the gas for the brake often lead the news, especially if the driver turns out to be a senior citizen. Most recently, a 93-year-old man from Northbridge with a spotless driving record allegedly struck and killed a 74-year-old pedestrian, and left the scene, allegedly unaware that he had hit anyone.

"I think we are smarter drivers," Mr. Cosenza said, adding that mature drivers know when to drive and often plan around rush hours and weather conditions. Also, he said remaining active is one key to maintaining good driving skills.

Yet despite sometimes leading the news, mature drivers are not the leading age group with the most number of accidents.

A study released last week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that crash rates for drivers 70 and older have declined faster than other age groups. The reason being, according to the study, that vehicles are safer and older drivers are healthier than those of generations past.

From 1997 to 2012, fatal crash involvement rates fell 36 percent for drivers ages 70-74, 46 percent for drivers 75-79 and 49 percent for drivers 80 and older, according to the IIHS study.

Mr. Consenza said he is tired of having elderly drivers be reduced to political buzz words and sound bites on the evening news when they are involved in accidents.

He said there are more dangerous things to be concerned about, such as the social acceptance of drug use and other impairments of younger drivers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 33 million licensed drivers age 65 and older in the U.S. in 2009, and the risk of being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash increases with age. The CDC estimated that 500 older adults are injured daily in crashes.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported in 2011 there were 5,401 people 65 or older who were killed and 185,000 injured in traffic crashes.

That age group accounted for 17 percent of all fatalities and 8 percent of injuries in all traffic crashes. There were 41.4 million licensed drivers 65 and older nationwide in 2010. In addition, 77 percent of traffic fatalities involving older drivers in 2011 occurred during the daytime, 71 percent on weekdays and 67 percent involved older vehicles.

In Massachusetts, 61 or 13.4 percent — of the 454 fatal traffic crashes involved drivers age 65 or older; however, those age 35-54 and 21-34 had the highest number of involvement in fatal crashes, with 159 and 131 crashes, respectively, according to the NHTSA.

It is estimated that there will be more than 64 million people age 70 or older by the year 2050.

Michele Ellicks is the community outreach coordinator for the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle and travels across the state, leading safe driving workshops.

Among the topics discussed are medical conditions that may affect a person's driving ability and the registry's licensing policy that requires drivers 75 and older to renew their license in person and pass a vision test every five years.

"Every person is different. I do feel that most folks understand that driving is a privilege and not a right," Ms. Ellicks said. "I always ask people at these sessions to think about the places that they had driven to in the past few days, and how they would get there if they did not drive. As baby boomers, we have to plan. The reality is, I may outlive my driving life. It's a mindset and people are very receptive."

According to the RMV, drivers can asses themselves with the safe driver checklist found on its website, www.massrmv.gov.

The self-assessment covers topics such as driving at night or dusk, sensitivity to headlights, ability to read road signs and see police officers or construction details and detours, ability to keep up with posted speed limits, ability to concentrate and parking abilities.

There are other programs to assist drivers as they age, such as those sponsored by AARP, including CarFit, which technicians make sure your vehicle properly "fits" a driver and online tools that review how medications impact driving abilities.

Drivers can seek a comprehensive professional assessment if they are concerned about their or a family member's driving habits. Drivers can even take a refresher course.

"Driver's ed isn't just for teens anymore," Ms. Ellicks said. "Driving is a very complex skill that we need to keep refreshed, or taking a step further, we may need an on-the-road lesson."

Timothy J. Cooney Jr., executive director of the council and president of CMCS Auto School, receives many requests from adult children concerned about their parents' driving that request an independent review, and conducts about 75 to 100 hourlong assessments each year for mature drivers. The assessments range from $75 to $125

The review is an hourlong ride with a driving instructor who assesses how the driver changes lanes, accelerates, complies with proper yielding and other practices that may or may not make them a danger on the roads.

The review is confidential, shared only with family members or a physician, if requested.

"It's a snapshot," Mr. Cooney said. "Based on that, we can encourage older drivers to stay off interstates, to only drive in the daylight and not to drive at all if they might hurt themselves or someone else.

"Driving is bad enough with road rage, the volume of vehicles, and other distractions, and this compounds it," Mr. Cooney said. "We can give drivers a mini lesson, highlights of what we do for the 16-year-olds who just want to get out and drive."

CMSC offers the assessments throughout Central Massachusetts and has even gone as far as Boston.

"One of our instructors conducted an assessment of an 82-year-old woman who lived in Boston. He went on a two-hour ride with her, and she was better than anyone else on the road," Mr. Cooney said.

"It's hard to judge particular cases, but it is a critical situation," Mr. Cooney said, adding most people know their limitations and when their reaction times have slipped.

To address what he sees as a growing crisis, Mr. Cooney said he is offering free assessments to older drivers for the next six months.

"We've got to do this to nip this potential problem in the bud," Mr. Cooney said. "Something's got to be done."

Additional information can be found at www.massrmv.com/rmv/seniors. The Central Massachusetts Safety Council and CMSC Auto School can be contacted at (508) 835-2333 or www.centralmasafety.org.

Contact Donna Boynton at Donna.Boynton@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @DonnaBoyntonTG